Total Issue 1
This issue was cover-dated January 1992 and released in December 1991. It cost £1.95. Regulars Editorial / The Team - 1 page (2) Contents - 1 page (3) The Total! Adventure Compo - 1 page (27) The Total! Gameplayers Championship 1992 - 2 pages (42-43) Subscriptions - 1 page (82) Next Month - 1 page (83) News Everyone's gone Nintendo crazy: Fact - 1,300,000 people now own NES and Game Boys in the UK. - (4) The Super NES is coming! - (5) 10 Things You Never Wanted To Know About Mario... - (5) Feature Become a Nintendo Expert! - 5 pages (6-10) :If you're wondering what system to buy, what add-ons to get or simply what to do with the stuff when you've bought it, you'll find all the answers here. Reviews Reviews Introduction - 2 pages (11,61) Comments Super Mario Bros. 3 - 98% : Totally stunning! Over the last few years i've played an awful lot of games on a lot of different machines - and this beats them all. What else can I say? Solar Jetman - 92% : Hard to fault this game, really. It's technically stunning, incredibly playable and more polished than your mom's silver. Buy and enjoy! WWF Wrestlemania Challenge - 37% : The graphics are good and the wrestling moves are actually quite impressive. But at the end of the day, it's neither challenging, nor very exciting. Batman - 81% : There's nothing really original about this game but who cares when it plays so well? Each level is long with some ingenious and tricky end-of-level challenges. Basically a great game! Bart vs the Space Mutants - 81% : If it wasn't for the lack of a password system, Bart and family would have been kicking around the 90's. Still, this is a real smart game and no mistake! Captain Skyhawk - 83% : Incredibly snazzy graphics, three different types of gameplay, fast-paced action and beautiful presentation. A spiffingly good blast 'em up. Goal! - 39% : WAH! Flickery graphics, random player-switching and opponents with glue on their boots. Everything you never wanted from a football game. Solstice - 90% : Apart from the lack of a save game this is brill. The graphics are unbelievable, the challenge is huge and the gameplay totally rivetting! Time Lord - 43% : Darn it! I like the idea behind this, but the gameplay is so frustrating. Silly puzzles and poor programming have made this a real pain to play. Isolated Warrior - 72% : Some of the levels drag on a bit, but the graphics are pretty hot (if a little flickery) and the gameplay is frantic! Yep, this is one mean blast! Digger T. Rock - 58% : Lots of neat ideas, but Digger T. Rock is just too frustrating. I didn't really enjoy playing it that much, and I don't think you'll be thrilled either. Top Gun: The Second Mission - 66% : This is an amazing looking game - a real stomach churner. But it's so flippin' tough your stomach will be churning for the wrong reason. Battle of Olympus - 92% : This is a lot prettier than many adventures and there's plenty of slice 'n' dice action. Variety, good atmosphere and a quest that goes on and on! Defender of the Crown - 71% : This classic strategy game is a bit disappointing. It's very good, but could have been even better. Ivan 'Ironman' Stewart's Super Off Road - 54% : No good as a one-player game - it's too easy and too dull. It's only worth a second glance if you're really into simultaneous multi-player action. Snake Rattle 'n Roll - 90% : Another unbelievable game from Rare and Nintendo. It's challenging, plays like a dream and the two-player option is the biz! Boulder Dash - 90% : He may be an old man, but Rockford's looking better than ever. Smart graphics, masses of levels and a challenge bigger than, er, a very big thing. Gauntlet II - 88% : As-near-as-dammit-arcade-perfect. Technically superb and terrific fun with a group of friends. Delve into the dungeons, but don't go alone! Skate or Die - 52% : If I had the choice between skating and dying it'd be a close-run thing. There are certainly better ways to spend your NES playing time. Bubble Bobble - 80% : Spoiled by too many continues and passwords, but still more playable than the contents of a large jar marked 'Danger! Playable substances!'. F-1 Race - 88% : Who'd have thought such speed was possible on the Gameboy? And it's not just an exercise in programming. The gameplay is spot-on, the graphics are brill and the four-player option is the bee's knees! Robocop - 74% : Looks professional but the annoying gameplay will get to you. Robo is just too sluggish (unlike his enemies). It's very good but brilliant. Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan - 91% : I'm not a massive Turtles fan but this is great. The graphics are excellent, the sound is well-funky and what's more it's playable beyond belief. R-Type - 86% : R-Type fans won't find anything new in this version. But if you've been starved of blasting action it's a big enough meal for anybody. Side Pocket - 59% : More of a puzzle game with pool balls than a true pool simulation. With a computer opponent and English rules it could have been great. The Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle - 43% : What a waste of an opportunity. If any character was going to make a good game it was Bugs. But despite good animation, this is dull beyond belief. Super Mario Land - 94% : Yet another wonderful Mario game (where will it end?). You must own a Game Boy, so why haven't you got Super Mario Land? Super RC Pro-Am - 87% : Onec again, Rare manage the impossible with this stunning R.C. racer! The thrill won't last forever, but the multi-player option is a winner. Qix - 83% : If you fancy something different, this will definately fit the bill! It's very unusual and extremely playable, but perhaps lacking variety. Revenge of the Gator - 85% : This is as close to real pinball as you can get, and has more features than your average table! It's fine, fun and flipperin' brill! Solar Striker - 72% : It looks a bit old fashioned but the high level of playability makes up for it. And there are enough difficult levels to keep you going for ages. Batman - 80% : A few niggling faults in the gameplay, but Batman is still a good jaunt. Certainly no complaints in the audio-video department! Golf - 92% : A stupendous version of the sport, with everything you could possibly want. Golf fans should buy it now! Tennis - 95% : Stunningly simple tennis simulation, but one which plays much better than those on bigger machines. What do I think of it? Love all! Kwirk - 78% : Standard graphics but the sound is pretty good. It's also very playable. Excellent as an occasional time-filler and should last you a long time. Dr. Mario - 64% : Clever attempt at a Tetris-style puzzler, that doesn't quite work. You'll enjoy your first few attempts, but it soon becomes a bit of a drag. Castlevania Adventure - 89% : If it wasn't for the annoying restart points this game might have got into the nineties. Even so, it's still a rip-roaring little game. Give it a bash! Nintendo World Cup - 64% : This is very different to many footy sims that have been released. But despite interesting graphics and some nice features it's still flawed. King of the Zoo - 87% : Weird, wacky and wonderful. Simple ideas are always the best and this one's as simple as Thicky! If it's fast action you're after, here it is! The Chess Master - 90% : Snazzy speech, sampled sounds, loads of skill levels and an idiot-proof control system. It all adds up to a helluva version of a helluva game. Total! Tactix Super Mario Bros - NES - 1 page (56) Super Mario Land - Gameboy - 1 page (57) Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles - NES - 2 pages (58-59) Other Tips - Golf, Batman, Castlevania Adventure, Snake Rattle N Roll, Bubble Bobble, Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan, Side Pocket, Tennis, The Simpsons - 1 page (60) Other Credits Deputy Editor :Andy Dyer Art Editors :Wayne Allen, Julie Stuckes Publisher :Steve Carey Issue Index Category:Contains NES Reviews Category:Contains Game Boy Reviews Category:Total issues Category:Future Publishing issues Category:Magazines cover-dated 1992 Category:Magazines released in 1991